KK: Listen up, Sunshine in the Graveyard fans! I have a real treat for you! To get you all ready for the sequel, we're gonna put up a cool new short story. Kinda like an in-between-'quel.

Murdoc: An in-b'tween-'quel? Are ya on some new medication or summink?

KK: (innocent look) I don't know! (smiles)

Murdoc: Ugh, christ. . .

KK: Ignoring you, psycho. Anyway, on to our story. And trust me, I think that just by the title, you'll figure out what's gonna happen to our five heroes. If not, then sucks to be you!

Trapped In Halloween: Act One

Time: around 5:45 PM. Not exactly the same-old routine day around Kong Studios. Noodle hadn't been seen for a whole hour, especially since she was needed at a group "meeting", and everyone was stressing their brains out looking for her.

"Did you check the cinema?" asked a panic-stricken Russel.

"Yeah, twice!" 2D answered. "What about the cafe?"

"We're already in the cafe, face-ache!" Murdoc growled furiously, smacking the singer upside the head. "Do us all a favor an' grow a brain!"

"Well, where haven't we checked?" Russel now looked as if he was going to have a massive heart attack.

Adria shrugged. "I dunno. Just calm down, Russ. She couldn't have gotten far. She's probably playing a game or something."

"Why would I do that, Adria-san?" a small voice asked behind the group.

Everyone jumped and turned around. Sure enough, Noodle was there, staring up at everyone with an innocent look on her face, wondering why her friends were looking at her so strangely.

"Where the hell have you been?" Adria asked, her hand on her chest over her heart, desperately wanting it to slow its pace.

"Oh, I was in the woods, Adria-san," the young Jap replied. "The woods on the far side of the graveyard. I found something really strange there."

"Wot didja find?" 2D asked, still rubbing the back of his head where he was hit.

"Yeah, wot could ya find that was so interestin'?" Murdoc sneered.

"I do not know exactly what it was -- I was a bit confused myself -- but it looked like this weird grove of trees, and they each had a different picture on them."

"Like what?" Now, Russel was curious.

"I think one had a Christmas tree on it, and another had a turkey on it. There were a whole other bunch of trees, too."

It was then that Murdoc rolled his eyes, groaned, and looked at Adria. Or, glared. "Garrison, 'ow many times did ya let this girl watch the Nightmare Before Christmas wit' ya?"

"Only once-"

Noodle stomped her foot fiercely in irritation. "I am not lying, Murdoc-san! I saw it, I really saw it!"

Then, with a grin on her face, Adria elbowed her boyfriend in the arm and motioned for him to come close. "She's just a little kid, Muds. Let's just go and play along."

Giving up, the Satanist sighed. "Fine. We'll go. Jus' as long as we can get back 'ere in time for me to catch my TV show."

"Well, that settles it. Lead the way, Noodle."

With a smile, she nodded and bowed. "Domo origatou, Adria-san."

Without further stalls, the four made their way to the carpark, which had the door closest to the forest of the Studios lot. They also needed to take a car down their anyway; there was a long ride down. Then, as the five passed through the doorway to get the Geep outside, 2D brought something up.

"Noodle, the forest would take ya 'bout an hour t' get down to walkin', an' you've only been gone an hour."

Murdoc scoffed. "Nice math skills, brainache."

"Shut up, Muds. Anyway, 'ow'd ya get back 'ere so quickly?"

"Well, I-uh, kind of. . .borrowed the Geep?"

"Noods, why'd ya go and 'ave t' do that? Y'could've crashed it!"

"I am sorry, Murdoc-san. I guess I was not thinking. . ." Noodle crawled into the back seat of the Geep, her head bent forward. Until she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she had to look up. It was Adria, giving her a comforting smile.

"Don't worry about Muds, Noodle. He's probably just PMS-ing again."

Hearing this, Murdoc looked to the backseat and glared at his girlfriend. She only glared back, but just for fun.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

After what seemed like a quick ride to the forest (well, to everyone except Murdoc, of course), and after getting some directions from Noodle on where to park the Geep, the five started to look for the strange grove of trees, having absolutely no luck whatsoever.

"Noods," 2D called out, "I don' see any weird trees."

No response.

"Noods? NOODS?" 2D called again and again. "Where are ya?"

"Now, where the fuck is she?" groaned Murdoc, smacking himself in the forehead in frustration.

"I FOUND IT!" Obviously, it was her voice. The other four ran to where Noodle's voice seemed to be coming from. Sure enough, she was standing in the clearing of a grove of trees. Sure enough, they all had pictures on them, as she had described them.

The four all gazed around in utter amazement. As weird and unworldly as it may have seemed, their little Japanese friend wasn't lying. But, then again, she barely lied at all.

"Holy mother of the gods," Adria gasped.

"I can't believe it," Russel said, blinking several times to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

" 'Ow the fuck couldn't I 'ave seen this part of the woods b'fore?" That came from Murdoc, and Adria couldn't help but snicker.

Finally, everyone's gazes were all drawn to one particular tree. On it was a makeshift picture of a Jack-O-Lantern. It was, supposedly, the portal to Halloweentown.

"I'm thinkin' that's the entrance to that place where it's always Halloween, right?" asked Russel.

As if that was a password, the nose of the drawing turned a quarter turn to the left, and the Jack-O-Lantern, which was obviously now a door, opened. Then there was a flash of white light. The five covered their eyes to block it, but to no avail. . .